Caring for the Flock
BY MICHAEL McCULLOUGH
II Timothy 4:1,2 As the head of the church, our Lord Jesus Christ has set forth specific guidelines as to how we are to function and what is to go on when we gather together as a group of believers. We don't have license to do whatever we want or whatever is appealing to men from without.
Some of the guidelines for pastors are given in Paul's first letter to Timothy, as he writes, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (3:15).
And in his second letter, he gives the young pastor this very solemn charge: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (4:1,2).
Note in particular that this charge centers upon Timothy's pastoral responsibility to indeed preach the Word of God. Timothy is not left to himself to decide: "Well, let's see, what is popular? What subject matter draws people's attention? Or what social problem needs to be tackled?"
Importance of preaching
"To preach" means "to herald" or "to proclaim". The principal duty of a pastor is to proclaim the Word of God, especially in the context of the gathered people of God. And the Word that is to be preached is the whole Bible, not isolated verses taken out of context.That preaching holds a key role in God's salvation plan is shown in Romans 10:14: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
Not surprisingly, Christ began His earthly ministry preaching. Right after He had been tempted by Satan, He went to Galilee and we read in Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
So did John the Baptist"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea" (Matt. 3:1). Likewise, Paul writes, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach" (I Cor. 1:17). And of Peter and the other disciples, we read, "And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans" (Acts 8:25).
Ambassadors. Why is preaching the Word so important? For one thing, we are ambassadors for Christ; we are spokesmen for the King. As such, we don't come with our own message, we come with His teaching as though Christ is speaking Himself.
Am I exaggerating the role of the pastor? Not really. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul explains in Chapter 2 how they, who once were far away from God, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He then says in verses 16 and 17, "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh."
Christ Himself, of course, did not personally come and preach peace to the Ephesians. Paul did. Nor did Jesus personally preach to them that were nigh. He preached through the servants whom He had called to be preachers. As they stood before an assembly of people, He preached to the assembly.
Salvation. Secondly, preaching the Word of God is important because it is the means of our salvation. Paul says in I Corinthians 2:4,5, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
Pastors and churches may have all kinds of ideas and programs to attract or entertain people. But men's wisdom can't save a soul. To bring salvation to the lost, the Word of God, the whole counsel of God, must be preached.
Sanctification. Finally, we preach the Word of God because the Word sanctifies God's people. On the eve of His Crucifixion, Christ prayed to the Father in John 17:17: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
If we are becoming holy, it is only because the Holy Spirit is pressing the Word of God upon our minds and hearts, giving us understanding.
Thus, Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25,26: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." You see,
Christ washes the church, the body of believers, by the Word.Need for Discernment
Now, you may ask, "Why should I be concerned with all this since I'm not a pastor nor am I planning to be one?"For one thing, to conform to the image of Christ, you need to be properly fed in a Bible-preaching church.
In the Book of Acts, the workings of God are almost always seen in the context of the Word being preached. Peter stood and preached the gospel, for example, and there was a stirring of the Spirit of God. In its wake, three thousand people were saved.
Special presence. In Ephesians 2:20-22, Paul alludes to this presence of God's Spirit in the church:
And (ye) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.Yes, every child of God is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But in this passage, Paul is referring to a peculiar presence of the Spirit among the gathered people of Godfor it is there that Christ preaches to His people through His servants.The Lord speaks of this peculiar presence of His in Revelation 2:1, where He identifies Himself as "Hewho walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks"among the seven churches, that is. It is because of this special presence that the preaching of the Word is attended with great power. There is that stirring of the Spirit of God.
So, if you want to grow in Christ, be sure to attend a church that faithfully preaches the Word of God.
Spiritual rule. Secondly, God commands in Hebrews 13:17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls." As believers, you and I are to submit to the rule of our pastors.
Note that the context in which Paul gives the solemn charge to Timothy to preach the Word is one where he says in the same letter: "This I know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud" and so on (3:1,2).
Not only that, says Paul, but there will be those who, in the context of religion, will have "a form of godliness, but they will deny the power thereof; from such turn away" (v. 5). He describes them as "evil men and seducers who shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (v. 13).
Now, if you submit yourself under someone who is to watch over your soul, you really should ascertain that he indeed faithfully preaches the Word of God. Your very soul is at stake. You must scrutinize those who would be leaders over you.
False prophets. The Bible warns us over and over again to beware of false prophets. It says in I John 4:1: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
In Revelation 2:14, the Lord tells the church at Pergamos that the thing He has against them is that they have among them people who hold to false doctrine. We are not to tolerate any teaching other than the Word of God.
And oh, what a woe God pronounces upon those who do not faithfully preach the Word. He says in Ezekiel 34:2,3: "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock."
These are men who are consumed upon their own loss. They have a congregation. They have a flock. But instead of caring for them, all they're concerned with is deceiving them, taking their money and goods to satisfy their own desires. The Bible warns that as we approach the end of time, more and more congregations will be headed by such false shepherds.
Voluntary submission. It's a sad fact that in most churches today, the pastor is rather protected from the flock. He is never required to prove from Scripture all that he teaches. As a result, a man can remain in the pulpit for a long time even though he doesn't preach the Word of God. Other than asking God to change the situation if it is His will, the congregation can do absolutely nothing about it.
Nevertheless, when we voluntarily put ourselves under the oversight of a minister, we had better make sure that he is truly a servant of Christ. Too many of us have treated these times far too lightly. Some of us even prefer entertaining messages over Biblical sermons. And we want to hear that Christians deserve health and wealth, rather than having to deny themselves.
But beloved, if that's the case with you, you must ask yourself honestly if you are indeed a child of God. We are under no obligation to remain in a church where false doctrine and men's wisdom are promoted.
On the positive side, it is a glorious occasion when God's people gather together in a church where God's Word is faithfully preached. Glorious because it is Christ speaking to them through the pastor. The Lord Jesus Himself is teaching. So, may God grant you the wisdom to differentiate the true preacher from the false prophet, and to worship in a church where the whole counsel of God is proclaimed. o
Rev. Michael McCullough is an itinerant pastor. His mailing address is: 1010 Wilma Court, Ripon, CA 95366.